DUBAI, May 14. /TASS/. The Hamas political office in Doha will continue operating as long as the conflict in the Gaza Strip rages on, so that the Qatari authorities can interact with the radical movement's leadership, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, who is mediating talks between Israel and Hamas, has said.
"We believe that as long as there is a war and there is a need for communication, <...> we should be available to the parties involved to help resolve conflicts," the prime minister said during a speech at the Qatar Economic Forum, responding to a question about the possible shutdown of Hamas' political office in Doha.
According to him, the Hamas office was opened in the Qatari capital in 2012 to provide a channel of communication that has "proven effective," including allowing the release of more than 100 Israeli hostages during the humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip. "If you review the various conflicts from 2014 until today, this office has played a key role in them, including the release of hostages, which many politicians have unfortunately forgotten," the prime minister stressed.
On April 20, The Wall Street Journal published a story claiming that the Hamas political leadership is mulling the possibility of leaving Doha and moving its headquarters to Oman or another Arab country. According to the newspaper, the US is increasing pressure on Qatar to force Hamas to make more concessions in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations.
On April 17, Qatar's prime minister said that his country was reconsidering its role as mediator in talks between Hamas and Israel. According to him, this is due to attempts to discredit Qatar's efforts. According to Reuters, the country's authorities are now considering closing Hamas' political office amid unsuccessful attempts to reach a truce agreement in the Palestinian enclave.